Board grade production up in Q1

The Washington-based American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) says output of containerboard in the United States rose by 2 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the first three months of 2021.

The boxboard mill operating rate was 94 percent in the first quarter of this year, which AF&PA says is up 2 points from the 92 percent capacity rate in the first quarter of 2021. Recycled-content boxboard output in this year’s first quarter increased by 3 percent compared with the first quarter of last year, says the association.

In the containerboard sector, mills operated at a 94.3 percent rate, which AF&PA calls “essentially flat (+0.4 pts.)” compared with the first quarter of 2021.

The production of containerboard for export early this year increased by 9 percent compared with the first three months of last year, the group adds.

Mill inventories of containerboard at the end of March decreased 102,000 short tons compared with the end of the 2021 calendar year but were up 63,000 short tons compared with March 31, 2021.

In March of this year, even printing and writing (P&W) papers enjoyed a demand boost, with the AFA&PA reporting a 1 percent year-on-year increase in shipments for the month compared with March 2021. “U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers increased 3 percent in March [2022] compared to the same month last year,” states AF&PA.